Police: 3-Month-Old Drowns In Bathtub After Father Turned Water On, Fell Asleep

<> on August 11, 2010 in North Miami, Florida.The father of a 3-month-old infant who drowned in a bathtub has been arrested on second-degree murder and child abuse charges after allegedly turning the water on and then falling asleep along with other members of the family. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Phoenix, Ariz. (CBS LAS VEGAS) — The father of a 3-month-old infant who drowned in a bathtub has been arrested on second-degree murder and child abuse charges after allegedly turning the water on and then falling asleep along with other members of the family.

Carlos Castillo, 24, placed his 3-month-old son, and his 1- and 3-year-old brothers, in the bathtub with the water running and no water plug at their residence, police tell KNXV-TV. Castillo then reportedly forgot about the children and joined the children’s 19-year-old mother and great-grandmother, falling asleep in another room.

The boy was found by his great-grandmother at about 10:45 a.m. on Tuesday after being left unattended for nearly one hour, according to police. Castillo was awoken by a noise and water running outside of the bathroom. The child’s great-grandmother initiated CPR until Phoenix police arrived and transported the baby in critical condition to Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

“I didn’t know if he was alive or if he was dead,” Rita Madrid, the child’s great-grandmother, told KNXV. “It was horrible.”

Police discovered the baby submerged in the bathtub as water was actively flowing out of the home. The 3-month-old was pronounced dead at the hospital. The two other boys were reportedly not injured.

“It appears that the guardians that were inside the home may have laid down and fallen asleep. They were awakened by the water coming onto the floor of the residence,” Sgt. Trent Crump tells KFYI-TV.

In addition to the second-degree murder and child abuse charges, Castillo was initially arrested for a felony warrant in an unrelated incident.